Fujifilm X100VI - A Photographers First Impressions

23 Sept

At the start of 2024, I started to hear rumours coming from the Fujifilm community about a successor to the Fujifilm X100V. I bought the X100V in 2021 before much of the internet hype made it almost impossible to get and even if you did find one, the price you would have to pay would be much more than the retail price.

I bought the X100V to complement the Fujifilm X-T3 that I had at the time. I wanted something smaller to carry around, but also something that would produce similar images from my X-T3, so the X100V seemed the perfect camera.

Whilst I struggled with it initially, it soon became one of my favourite and most used cameras, so when I heard about a possible successor, I was extremely interested.

But the question I asked myself was, do I really need the next version if I am happy with the X100V? A reasonable question, but one that I immediately had answers to. I made a quick wishlist of factors that would persuade me that I did want to upgrade.

Why Upgrade to the Fujifilm X100VI?

The main new feature I would be looking for in the Fujifilm X100VI would be In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS). From my extensive use of the X100V, I know that I like to use the camera in low-light situations, for example in the woods, or at sunrise and sunset, when I want to use a lower shutter speed. I have many X100V photos that are blurry because I’ve lowered the shutter speed too much and not quite been able to hold the camera steady. And from my experience with the Fujifilm X-T5 and X-H2S, both of which have IBIS, the benefit to my photography is noticeable.

Secondly, an improved sensor with higher resolution like the X-T5 would be useful. With a fixed 35mm full frame equivalent focal length, I find I frequently crop my photos from the X100V, so more megapixels would allow me more scope to crop images.

These two reasons alone would justify the upgrade for me, depending on price of course, however I knew that the used price of the X100V is still very high, so I would likely not have to spend a lot more to upgrade as long as I sold the X100V.

Sure enough, in February, Fujifilm planned a launch event that would reveal the highly anticipated Fujifilm X100VI. I knew this would be popular, so I made sure I was in a position to pre-order the camera as quickly as possible after the launch, and I put the pre-order in at about 7am UK time, just after the conclusion of the launch event and after I had had a short amount of time to assess the new features and price.

About a month later I got a call saying that my camera was ready to ship, and I received it the next day.

I feel very lucky to have one of these cameras, because I hear lots of stories of people who put their order in on launch day and they still have not received their camera yet. This could be for many reasons, but given the popularity of the X100V, the demand for this camera is unsurprising, which is why I was so organised on launch day. It sounds like others were organised too, but have not been as lucky with the supply chain, and so I feel grateful for the luck I have had.

I have had this camera now for about six months, and whilst this sounds like a lot of time, I think it takes a long time with a camera to give a full review, so everything I want to write in this article still feels like first impressions.

Looks

I went with the black version of the Fujifilm X100VI after having the silver version of its predecessor. I fancied a change, and there is no denying that this is a beautiful looking camera in either color. I am very happy with the black version.

The weather resistant kit that you can buy to protect your camera from the elements works with both the X100VI as well as the X100V, so my silver kit that I already own is compatible with my new camera. I do not see the need to get the black version, and I actually quite like how the silver looks on the black version, with my silver lens hood too.

Handling

In terms of how it feels In the hand, I do not notice any difference to how the X100V felt which is not surprising given the dimensions are almost identical. I would prefer a deeper grip, but not enough to add any accessories to make it deeper. I like having a woven strap that I wrap round my hand and wrist which gives me more confidence when handling, and in nearly 4 years of using the X100V and X100VI, I have never dropped the camera (famous last words).

Image Quality

My first outing with the Fujifilm X100VI was awful. It was a dull and overcast day, at a time of year when everything is at its most bleak. And my photos reflected that. A little disappointing. If I had not had a brand new camera that I had been anticipating for a few weeks for, then I would have not taken a camera out with me at all on that walk. But this was mid-March in the UK, and I knew that Spring was just starting and that other opportunities would be presenting themselves in the coming days and weeks.

As I started using the camera more, it became apparent that for my use case this upgrade was a good one. The stabilisation for photography is very effective, and I have been able to use much slower shutter speeds for static scenes with great success. This is something that I was hopeful would be a useful new feature, and I have not been disappointed.

The other new feature that was on my wishlist was the new 40 Megapixel Sensor, and this is something that has exceeded my expectations. The extra resolution gives more cropping ability, and the image that is produced from the new sensor is full of rich colors and character.

Autofocus

Much has been said about the Fujifilm autofocus generally, and a lot of what has been said is not flattering. Whilst I did not have any issues with the autofocus on the X100V, I have noticed that the autofocus feels improved in the X100VI. It feels faster to acquire focus and the tracking seems more reliable when trying to take photos of my dog running around. Hardly a scientific endorsement, but I certainly feel that the autofocus on this camera is not a barrier to me getting the images I am after.

Film Simulations

One of the ‘nice to haves’ I wanted was an updated set of Film Simulations. The X100V lacked Nostalgic Negative, and I really liked that simulation on the X-H2S, so I was happy to get a set of updated Film Simulations in the X100VI.

The X100VI also has a new Film Simulation - Reala Ace. It is meant to have more accurate colour rendition and is aimed at portrait and landscape photographers. I’ve had my Fujifilm X100VI set to have Reala Ace as the film simulation since I bought it, and I really like the images that have been produced. I always shoot RAW and JPG and have found that I have started using Reala Ace as my base profile in Lightroom when editing my RAW images, but I am still experimenting as to what situations I tend to reach for it.

Disappointments

There were two improvements that I was hoping for that did not make it in to the X100VI. Firstly, I thought that the SD Card slot might start to support UHS II SD Cards. This was not upgraded, but also for my use case, it has not held me back either.

Secondly, for my own convenience, I would have been thrilled if the battery was upgraded to support the newer NP-W235 batteries that can be found in the X-T5 and X-H2S. I have not experienced problems with the battery life on the X100V or the X100VI, but it is much more convenient when your cameras all use the same battery. Alas, the Fujifilm X100VI takes the older, smaller NP-W126S batteries. Fortunately, I have spares of these batteries, so I just pop a couple of those in my bag before I head out with my camera.

Conclusion

As you can probably tell, I’m very happy with the Fujifilm X100VI. The new features were exactly what I wished were on the X100V, and so it feels like a completely justified purchase. I know I will use this camera a lot.

I will continue to use it as I feel I have so much more to explore with this camera. This has been very much my first impressions from a photography perspective, but the video capabilities have been greatly improved and I really want to try them out too.